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Global AC drives manufacturer Vacon estimates that its products helped save approximately 62 TWh of energy in 2014. Also, the amount of energy produced last year from renewable energy sources with Vacon’s AC drives was approximately 25 TWh.

About 62 TWh (55 TWh in 2013) of electrical energy was saved last year with the help of Vacon AC drives. This corresponds to the amount of energy produced by approximately eleven 700-MW nuclear power reactors in a year, or the annual electricity consumption of approximately 13.8 million households in Europe. This also corresponds to approximately 24 hours of the world’s annual electrical energy generation*.

In addition, in 2014, the amount of energy produced with the help of Vacon’s AC drives from renewable energy sources was approximately 25 TWh (22 TWh in 2013). This corresponds to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 5.5 million households in Europe, or approximately 9.5 hours of the world’s entire annual electrical energy generation1.

An AC drive adjusts the speed of an electric motor according to the real process need, which typically reduces energy consumption by 20-50%. According to studies, the payback time of AC drives has continuously shortened. For example, in pump and fan applications the payback time can even be less than one year. In addition, AC drives technology can also be used for power conversion in renewable energy applications.

“Vacon has delivered AC drives since 1995. From the technological perspective, AC drives will be more energy-efficient and offer better performance in the future. Competing or substitute technical solutions do not exist for AC drives and are not within sight,” says Vesa Laisi, Vacon’s President and CEO.